Julie Benz and Jaime Murray cast in new SyFy series together

Fans of ladies who have memorably played ladies who love ladies on the small screen can rejoice. Two lesbian favorites and real-life friends Julie Benz and Jaime Murray have been cast together in the upcoming SyFy series Defiance.

According to Deadline.com, former Angel and Dexter star Benz, who also memorably played gay with Dana Delany in Desperate Housewives, has been cast as the female lead in the new series which will also star fellow Dexter alum Murray, who made subtext fans rejoice in her role as H.G. Wells on Warehouse 13.

Defiance is set in a dystopian, frontier-like future Earth where humans and aliens now live together. They have suffered through decades of war and aliens have terra formed the planet. Benz will play Amanda Rosewater, the “idealistic newly appointed mayor” who wants to keep peace in her mining boomtown. Murray will play the “beautiful and proper” wife to a member of an elite alien race.

The series will also star Grant Bowler, Tony Curran and Stephanie Leonidas. The series is written/executive produced by Rockne S. O’Bannon, whose credits include Farscape and Alien Nation.

The premise sounds a tad like Firefly, but with fewer spaceships and no Joss Whedon. But Benz and Murray have fantasty/sci-fi street cred. The former’s credits include Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Roswell. The latter made us all swoon chasing down artifacts alongside Agent Myka Bering on Warehouse 13.

Now, I’m of two minds about this news. On the one hand, I’m happy two talented actresses who are also close (not to mention cheeky – you should read some of their text convos) friends are going to be gainfully employed on what sounds like an ambitious new series. On the other hand, I really hope with all of my Myka/H.G. shipper heart this doesn’t mean we’ve really seen the last of our daring Ms. Wells.

So, what do you think about this news? Happy they’ve landed on a series together? Sad this means Helena possibly really went boom? In pocket watch I still trust.